


A Good Stallion is Hard to Find

by htbthomas



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Blow Jobs, Caring for Horses, Established Relationship, Face-Fucking, Horse Innuendos, Horses, M/M, Oral Sex, POV Damen, Post-Canon, Sneaking Out, Yuleporn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-08 05:34:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8832397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/htbthomas/pseuds/htbthomas
Summary: All Damen wants is a little time alone with Laurent - surely a leisure ride across the countryside isn't too much to ask.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cerch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cerch/gifts).



> Thanks to K for the canon beta and to S for checking over the horse info!

Laurent's horse is just ahead of Damen's, his rider setting a leisurely pace now that they are far from the city walls. It's an impressive steed, built for power and speed as well as beauty. And though Laurent is dressed in simple workman's clothing to hide his identity, he can't hide the way he handles the animal. Masterful, the horse responding to a gentle word or a touch.

Damen can't hide his admiration, either. But he doesn't have to, not anymore.

With a murmur, Laurent lets his horse drop back to come beside Damen. His face relaxes and he gives Damen an enigmatic grin. "There's a stand of trees over there. Let's rest the horses."

"And ourselves?" Damen asks. 

Laurent gives him a small, almost imperceptible shrug that most wouldn't notice. But Damen knows Laurent. He needs this.

"I thought you never rested."

Laurent's eyes flash with humor at the teasing. "I've come to see the wisdom in it, every once in a while." Clucking gently to the horse, he turns toward the trees without preamble. Damen has to use his heels to hurry his own mare along.

They haven't done this in a while, snuck out of the palace to get some alone time, some true alone time. Getting rid of Laurent's personal guard and convincing Nikandros that they'll be fine takes some doing. The first time there was full out panic—King Damianos has been kidnapped! Send out search parties in every direction! The second time was a scolding—How can we protect you, Exalted, if you flout the procedures we have in place! The third time was just disgust. This is probably the fifth… sixth time? He's lost count. It's almost become a game. But as long as he leaves a note for Nikandros, then they escape the worst of it. Really, his retainers should expect it whenever Laurent is in town.

Damen crests a ridge and pauses, gazing down into the stand of trees. Laurent is already there, tying his horse's lead to a tree, and reaching into the saddlebags. He's removed his cap, his blond hair bright despite the shade from the trees. He unrolls a blanket, shaking it out, and lays it flat on the ground.

After a couple of pulls to smooth it out, he rises and looks up at Damen and his horse, fists on his hips. "Are you just going to stand there?" 

"Just amazed to see you do so much work without slaves at your beck and call."

Laurent laughs and makes a rude gesture at Damen. Damen could have told him the truth, that he's just enjoying the view, as he has been all afternoon, but he wouldn't want the Jewel of Vere to get a bigger head than he already has.

He's said it enough in their private times to last a thousand lifetimes anyway.

Damen finally walks his mare down and ties it beside Laurent's horse, who whickers a greeting. The two horses have spent a lot of time together in the past year. He strokes his mare's neck as a thanks, retrieves a couple lumps of sugar for them, and a bottle of fine red for himself. Laurent, if he'll touch it. Unlikely, though, Damen's only managed to coax him a few times. And only when they're completely alone. Laurent will never allow anyone except Damen see the slightest weakness.

Damen takes a swig of it as he drops down beside Laurent on the blanket. The wine is only a few degrees cooler than lukewarm, but it's still refreshing after a long ride. A pleasant warmth coats his throat and relaxes his muscles. He tilts the neck of the bottle toward Laurent. "It's a good one," he tries, expecting a refusal.

Which he gets. Laurent grants him only a slight shake of the head.

So Damen takes another swig. "More for me, then. Again."

He corks the bottle and sets it off to the side, only to find Laurent's eyes fixated on his lips. Unconsciously, Damen's tongue darts out to catch a droplet hanging on the edge of his mouth. 

"Good, is it?" Laurent's tongue comes out as well, drawing a languid line across his lower lip. "I think I'd like to see for myself."

He leans toward Damen stopping only a breath from his lips. He inhales deeply, teasing just a hair closer. Then his lips brush against Damen's, his tongue slipping inside. With a groan, Damen takes the kiss deeper.

The wine and the taste of Laurent blend together in a heady combination. Before he knows it, he's on his back, the roots of the trees below the blanket poking at his shoulder blades, but he doesn't care. As it always has with Laurent, the world narrows to just the two of them,

After several long minutes, Laurent lifts his head. Then tilts it. "I need further study." He reaches over the top of Damen's head to pluck the wine bottle from the blanket. Uncorking it with a flourish, he takes a long swallow. There's a moment while he pretends to consider it, then purses his lips, handing the bottle back. "It tastes better on you."

Damen's happy to oblige. Lifting onto an elbow, he takes a long draught from the bottle. He lets a little dribble out on purpose, the drops hanging on the edge of his bottom lip.

Laurent focuses his gaze on them for a long moment, and then his head dips forward—not to kiss, but to lick each drop with slow laves of his tongue. Damen shivers with desire at each contact, and though he wants to, he holds back at grabbing Laurent by the shoulders and pinning him to the blanket.

When Laurent is finished, he pulls back, regarding Damen with eyes dark with lust. "Yes, much better."

That look is Damen's undoing. He wraps Laurent in his arms, bringing Laurent down beside him, all the while kissing him furiously. One of Laurent's clever hands makes its way below his riding pants and grasps his ass with fingers that curl tight. Damen groans, his cock twitching to attention. He wants that hand there, too. He wants it everywhere.

And so he guides the other hand to his groin.

Laurent chuckles and rewards him by stroking his fingers up and down the shaft. "Impatient, are you?"

Between kisses on various bits of exposed skin, Damen says, "Yes. It's been far too long since the last time."

Laurent tuts as he wraps his fingers around it more tightly. "If the King of Akielos hadn't abolished slavery, he might have had any number of willing slaves at his disposal."

Damen grabs Laurent around the wrist, and then fondles his slave cuff more gently. "The only willing slave I need is you." Then he can't hold back any longer, rutting into his lover's hand.

It really has been far too long, leagues separating them for the good of their kingdoms. Right now it's hard to remember that with Laurent's warm hand encircling him. This is what he wants all the time, not only when they can find a way to dance around state visits and court etiquette. And then the other hand cups his balls and all thought of anything flees his mind.

Laurent removes his hands, removes his mouth from Damen's lips and kisses his way up the side of his face. "I would taste more of you," he murmurs against Damen's flushed skin. His hands snake under Damen's rough-hewn shirt and pull it over his shoulders and then he tugs at the pants as well.

Laurent isn't often the more assertive one during their lovemaking sessions, but Damen will not complain. Watching Laurent as he strips Damen of clothing with canny efficiency, his brow furrowed in concentration, is much too pleasurable.

When it's done, Laurent starts at the earlobe, works his way down the jaw and chin, takes his time with the shoulders and chest, and lingers on the navel. His hot breath makes the spring air seem warmer. Damen closes his eyes and leans back on his elbows, his attention focused only on the amazing sensations created by Laurent's nimble tongue.

He stops short of Damen's cock. Damen opens his eyes. A tiny smile appears, and then he descends, engulfing the head of Damen's penis in his mouth. He wants Damen to watch him—the imp.

How can he not? Those perfect pale lips around his cock working him without ever taking his eyes off Damen's? It's enough to make him explode right then, but he wants this to last as long as possible. They are all that matters now.

So it's not unusual that Damen doesn't hear the sound of footsteps approaching. But Laurent tenses, removes his mouth from Damen's cock and positions his still-clothed body to cover Damen. It's the voice that finally brings Damen back to the present. "Hello?"

He blinks dumbly up at the intruder, a young woman in riding leathers. She seems to realize what she's stumbled onto at the same moment he notices her presence, and she quickly averts her eyes with a cough.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, I'll just—"

Laurent takes the edge of the blanket and pulls it around Damen's waist, then turns toward her. "What do you need?" Laurent asks smoothly, as if he's conversing with a supplicant while on his throne. Damen notes that Laurent doesn't ask for her name—better to avoid having to give false names of their own.

"I—" She swallows and lifts her chin, trying to appear unafraid. "My horse went lame. I've been walking her—"

"You're walking her?" Laurent asks, cold shock tingeing his words.

"No! I mean, she started to limp, and I have been leading her—slowly—a good long ways. I've checked her hoof and I can't see what is wrong… do either of you have any experience with tending horses?"

She doesn't recognize them. Which was the point of the disguises in the first place, but other than Laurent's rough clothing, they're not hiding their identities well. Damen isn't hiding much of anything except his lower half.

"Yes," Laurent tells her. He stands. "Take me to her."

His imperious tone and regal stance should be enough to blow the entire ruse, but she just frowns slightly and gestures toward the road. He follows her.

Damen stands, tying the blanket around his waist, and watches from the safe anonymity of the trees. Though he can't hear the words of their conversation, he can watch Laurent's easy competence with the horse. He has grooms to do all these things, but Laurent knows how to treat an animal. He pulls a blade from a pocket, and lifts the horse's lame foot. He examines the hoof and sole, picking out debris in one spot and prodding gently at another.

He kneels to get a closer look, the knees of his pants getting dusty. It's not such a problem when he's wearing rough-hewn workman's clothes, but Damen can imagine him doing the same thing in his finest Vere silks. The horse's comfort is more important than his own.

He checks the hoof closely, teasing with his fingers and tapping with the hilt of his blade, then he wraps his fingers around the hoof and stills. After a short nod, he checks the other hooves, giving each one the same amount of care.

All the while, the young woman watches him, worry for the horse and gratitude for the help equal on her face.

Laurent stands, brushing off his knees, and speaks to her again. Her head lowers, but the next thing he says brings up her chin again. Laurent points toward the trees, and she shakes her head vehemently in denial. A few more words and she calms, nodding her head. Laurent takes her horse's lead and the two of them begin to walk toward the trees.

Suddenly, Damen feels silly. How long has he been standing there, naked to the waist except his gold slave cuff? He could have easily gotten dressed while Laurent was working with the horse. Instead, he'd used the time to watch his lover work with his hands on something that wasn't him. A quick rush of heat reminds him how enjoyable it was.

It's too late to dress now. He pulls together some dignity and calls out when they're close enough, "What was the problem?"

"An abscess," Laurent says. "Her mare should rest here until an herbalist can treat her. Unless," he asks her, "you cannot afford treatment."

"Oh, I can afford to pay," she says. "I would trade the treasury of Ios for her health."

Laurent nods with approval, as if this was the correct response. To Damen, he says, "I have offered to stay here with her mare while she goes for help."

Damen can't keep a small smile from his lips. Laurent is prone to displays of largesse as often as pique. 

He glances to where Laurent is now tying her mare to a tree beside his steed, and a thought hits him. "Will you be walking?"

"Yes." She looks up at the position of the sun. "If I hurry, I should be able to get there and back before nightfall."

"No need," Damen says, patting his own mare's flank. "Take my horse. You'll reach the closest village much more quickly that way."

She startles. "Oh, I—"

Laurent's voice overtakes hers. "If it's speed you want, then my steed is the better choice." He pats his horse's flank, and the sleeve pulls back a little, his golden slave cuff glinting in the sun. "Your mare, while a fine animal, is built more for sturdiness than speed."

Damen smirks. He really is in a very assertive mood today. "Are we going to wrestle for it?"

Laurent's brow rises. "Do you wish to?"

What he wishes is to get back to what they'd been doing before they were interrupted, and if wrestling is the way in...

The young woman has been staring at them, silent through what was basically verbal foreplay, but she clears her throat. "I should go. Your kindness has been far too generous already."

"Take the stallion, then," Damen tells her, a magnanimous note to his voice. Laurent can win this one, but Damen will have the next.

"Th-thank you. I will hurry back. My brother lives in the village, and he should know who to ask."

Laurent nods and prepares his horse—removing his saddle and saddlebags and replacing them with hers. 

The young woman scoots closer to Damen as they both watch. Lowering her voice, she murmurs, "He's a good one. Hold on to him, no matter what anyone says."

"What anyone—?" he begins, but she's already striding to where Laurent's horse awaits.

"Thank you. Thank you both." She mounts the horse with practiced ease. Then she ducks her head, fist to forehead. "Exalted." Then she turns the horse and sets off at a canter, which turns into a gallop at the road. 

Damen is stunned. She knew who they were?

"Close your mouth, Damianos. It's not becoming of a king."

Damen turns to Laurent, and lets the blanket fall away. His cock is still stiff with need. "If I close mine, you must open yours."

"Must?" Laurent scoffs, but his eyes glance down, and Damen can see it, the moment when he decides he wants the same thing Damen does. "Very well," he says as he kneels. "She may be back sooner than we expect." He smooths a hand up Damen's thigh and over his testacles. "After all, I only choose the most powerful stallions."

Before Damen can scoff in return about horse innuendos, his powers of speech leave him when Laurent's mouth engulfs his cock. He wraps his hands around the backs of Damen's thighs and roughly pulls Damen forward. The tip hits the back of Laurent's throat so hard that his groan is half-surprise, half-ecstasy. And it doesn't end there. He pushes and pulls Damen's cock in and out until Damen is rocking his hips in time to the rhythm that Laurent is setting. Damen can't believe Laurent wants it so fast and hard, but he doesn't let Damen slow down. not until Damen is shouting and coming hotly into Laurent's mouth. 

Laurent swallows and wipes his mouth on his sleeve, and then stands, kissing him as tenderly and slowly as he was fast and rough before. Damen kisses him back, whispering, "Was your… stallion… fast enough for you?"

Laurent chuckles. "For now."

"And for later?" 

Laurent looks over his shoulder at the sun behind him. Then he takes Damen's curly hair by the nape, and pulls downward. "Why wait for later? I believe we have a little more time."


End file.
